The invention relates in general to drain clearing devices and in particular to piston type drain clearing devices.
The common toilet plunger is well known for its use in clearing toilet drain outlets and comprises a wooden handle that terminates in a resilient, flexible rubber cup. The user depresses on the handle, deforming the rubber cup and thus creating pressure pulses that are transmitted to the obstruction. This may be repeatedly tried in the effort to unseat the obstruction.
Several problems are often encountered when attempting to use the common toilet plunger. In particular, sufficient force is often not delivered to the obstruction because of the inability to maintain an adequate seal. Even if an adequate seal of the plunger cup over the outlet is achieved, substantial physical effort may be required to successfully clear the obstruction. In addition, splashing of the toilet bowl contents can happen if the seal is not maintained while plunging.
A snake device, commonly consisting of long coiled wire, may be used. But the snake device can require even more physical effort on the part of the user, is difficult to employ, and is messy. For clogs in waste lines, a strong chemical agent is often used in an attempt to clear the clog. The disadvantages of this method are that the chemical agent is very caustic and must be handled with great care as well as the fact that the agent must be repeatedly purchased as it is consumed.